Rotary engine.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. FORSYTH, or AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF To GEORGE KETTERER, or AKRON, OHIO.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed January 14, 1907. Serial No. 352,316.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that 1, CHARLES E. FoRsYrH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, and do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to rotary engines, and the invention consists in an engine in which there are three pistonsadapted to travel in planetary relation about a fixed abutment and to maintain a constantly active surface in the engine, all substantially as shown and described and particularly pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of the engine centrally through the engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation on line 2. 2. Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3. 3. Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section corresponding substantially to line 4.. 4. Fig. 2.

As thus shown A represents the main or outer casing of the engine, and B the inner casing or shell which carries the several pistons O. C and G and revolves about fixed abutment D. Power shaft E is rigid with the said internal shell or member B and rotates therewith.

Outer casing A is provided with side plates (1 and a and a fixed hub or abutment D centrally of the engine is shown as rigid with plate a. The intake passage 3 is through plate a as also is exhaust passage 4, which extends thence inward into open relation with exhaust chamber 5 in abutment or hub D, seen in dotted lines Fig. 2, and in full lines Fig. 1. This chamber or space is circular in cross-section and has exhaust opening 4 centrally at one side. The intake passage is through a substantially crescent shaped slot d in hub D whence communication is by an extension of said passage 01 to and through the hollow or tubular spindles d of the severalpistons 7.

The rotary member B is substantially of clover leaf shape in elevation and has three several working or power chambers 6 of circular form in cross-section disposed about the hub or abutment open in turn to exhaust cavity 5 therein as they travel around the hub. The said member has a close bearing b upon the hub between chambers 6 to avoid leakage of steam, and

the space between said bearings-permits the hub to extend somewhat into chambers 6, occupying a small crescent portion in each. The pistons 7 work in these chambers and are supported on three several hollow spindles in such near relation to said hub that they form a steam tight working contact therewith the full width of said pistons. This contact or engagement is at the hub of the piston, through the center of which steam enters chamber 6. The hollow spindles oi the pistons continue open to the live steam through inlet passage 3 as long as they keep in open relation with slot d in hub D, but when the parts are rotated so as to cut off this slot from a given piston, as at exhaust position left of Fig. 1 below, the said slot is open through passage 3 to both the other pistons Fig. 4. This insures a constant steam pressure in the engine upon at least one piston at all times and upon two much of the time.

The pistons 7 are mounted to rotate on their own axes, describing the full circuits of their chambers respectively by accommodation of exhaust space 5, which enables them to turn as they rotate and to present their concave or curved sides to the steam as they come successively into active position.

When steam is admitted behind each piston at its active starting point, top of Fig. 1, the steam strikes the hollow side thereof. while hub D serves as an abutment therefor, and thence to the end of its active stroke. When live steam ceases to act on a piston past slot d the piston works under expansion of the steam till it reaches the exhaust.

Any air behind a piston is liberated through passage 20, which communicates with an annular groove 21, open to the exhaust. Or the air might exhaust into the, open.

Power is transmitted to power shaft E through the pistons and rotating member B by gears 9 on the spindles of the pistons outside said member B, and which have a planetary travel about stationary gear 10. This gear has a sleeve through which power shaft F extends as shown herein, so that it has said shaft in its axis. Hoods H confine gears 9 and have extensions h occupying the outer ends of the piston spindles and preventing steam from creeping out in that direction but not interfering with rotation.

What I claim is:

'having a single cavity in which said pistons are adapted to turn successively.

3. An engine having an inner rotatable casing provided with separate piston chambers, rotatable pistons mounted in said chambers, a fixed abutment centrally of said casing about which said pistons travel, and a power shaft rigid with said casing and operatively engaged with each of said pistons.

4. The power shaft 'and the rotatable member thereon having a series of working chambers, in combination with rotatable pistons in said chambers, gears connected with said pistons and a central gear meshed by said piston gears.

5. A rotary engine having an internal rotatable casing provided with a series of circular working chambers, an independently rotatable piston mounted in each chamber, a stationary hub about which said casing travels and having a cavity adapted to receive said pistons in turn, and a power shaft and means to convey power thereto from said pistons.

6. A rotary engine comprising an inclosing casing, a power shaft and a rotatable inner casing fixed on said shaft and provided with circular chambers open inside toward each other, a segmentally curved rotatable piston in each chamber adapted to turn in its chamber by rotation, a fixed internal hub about which said chambers rotate having a recess to receive said pistons successively and to convey the power.

7. A rotary engine comprising a main casing, a fixed 20 adapted to turn in the said cavity of the hub, and power 25 connections with the spindles of said pistons.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. FORSY'JH. Witnesses R. B. Mosnn, F. C. MUssuN. 

